Plant Management Practices Research Articles

Understory Vegetation in Oil Palm Plantations Promotes Leopard Cat Activity, but Does Not Affect Rats or Rat Damage

The expansion of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) plantations is a primary cause of land-use change and biodiversity loss in Southeast Asia. This has led to an increasing demand for the development of more sustainable agricultural management practices in plantations, such as Integrated Pest Management. Although populations of carnivorous mammals show declines when forest is converted to oil palm, some species, such as Leopard Cats (Prionailurus bengalensis) have been found to persist. They are often encouraged by plantation managers for their conservation value, and as agents of pest control to manage rat populations. Despite this, little is known about whether they reduce pest rat numbers, or whether plantation management affects how they use the oil palm habitat. This study was based at the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function in Tropical Agriculture (BEFTA) Programme in mature oil palm plantations in Riau, Sumatra, where there are three management strategies altering understory vegetation structure. We quantified Leopard Cat activity, invasive rat abundance and rat damage using camera traps, live traps, and visual estimates respectively. We collected data over a four-year period, before and after the management strategies were applied. We recorded three species of wild mammals (Leopard Cats, Common Palm Civets, and Wild Pig) within the plantations, of which Leopard Cats made up 82% of the total number of observations. We found that Leopard Cat habitat use was higher with increased understory vegetation, but that there was no effect of the vegetation treatments on rat abundance or rat damage. There was also a trend for reduced rat abundance with increased Leopard Cat activity. These results show that management practices can significantly affect Leopard Cat habitat use, with potential benefits for pest control. They also highlight the value of large-scale long-term manipulative experiments for developing more sustainable management practices in oil palm.

MAPPING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF TROPICAL FOREST PEAT AND CULTIVATED PEAT UNDER OIL PALM PLANTATION IN SARAWAK, BORNEO

This study attempts to establish and map the characteristics of peat soil under oil palm plantation and forest ecosystem. Peat soil from oil palm plantation and forest was collected for analysis at the depths of 0-15 cm, 100 cm, 200 cm and 300 cm. The plantation peat was found richer with exchangeable calcium and potassium likely due to the fertilisation and liming practices at the estate. The carbon dioxide (CO2) flux was detected higher at the plantation with elevated emission recorded near the drainage canal. As the depth increased, moisture was evidenced to surge with declining bulk density, indicative of less decomposed underlying peat. The E4/E6 values, however, did not reveal any statistical difference in peat soil from different land use and depths. The carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio was found lower in the cultivated peat suggesting reduced nitrogen stores. This was likely associated with the plantation management practices, resulting in enhanced mineralisation of nitrogen. The C/N ratio was evidenced to increase with increasing depths in both plantation and forest, indicative of lower humification degree for the horizon peat. It was concluded that the soil characteristics differed between land use and depths with spatial variations within each land use.

English

English

Performance of integrated ecological treatment system for decentralized rural wastewater and significance of plant harvest management

A full-scale integrated ecological treatment system (IETS) comprising, in series from inlet to outlet: two biofilters, one surface flow wetland (SFW), and two stabilization ponds, was constructed to treat rural decentralized domestic sewage and swine wastewater. The results showed the IETS had high removal efficiencies for ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) with average values of 95.7%, 93.0%, 94.6%, and 82.0%, respectively. Incorporation in the IETS of the SFW, vegetated with Myriophyllum aquaticum, was found essential in enhancing the wastewater treatment. The abundances of the amoA gene of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) within the SFW sediment ranged from 1.69 × 108 to 2.46 × 109 copies g−1 and from 2.63 × 107 to 6.90 × 107 copies g−1 dry sediment, respectively. The greatest AOA and AOB abundances, which were observed at the outlet of the SFW, were found to be related to the decreasing NH4+-N concentrations along the water flow path. The abundance of the narG gene was approximately two orders of magnitude greater than that of nosZ. Multiple harvests of M. aquaticum contributed to 23.7–33.7% of TN removal and 34.2–49.5% of TP removal in the SFW. A plant management practice with a harvesting frequency of once every 20 days yielded the largest amounts of plant biomass and nutrient uptakes. These findings indicated that the vegetation of fast-growing macrophytes such as M. aquaticum in IETS was demonstrated to be an effective way for increasing plant uptake of N and P and enhancing microbial nitrogen-transforming activities, which contributed to improve IETS performance in decentralized rural wastewater treatment.

Copper in plant protection: current situation and prospects

Copper has been used in agriculture to control oomycetes, fungi and bacteria for over a century. It plays important roles in integrated pest management, but is essential in organic farming, where disease management depends almost exclusively on its use. However, the use of this heavy metal may have log-term consequences due to its accumulation in the soil, which appears incompatible with organic farming’s objectives. This awareness led the European Union to establish maximum limits on copper in organic farming since 2002 (Commission Regulation 473/2002), and further decisions on its use in crop protection are to be taken soon. At present, copper compounds are approved as plant protection products until 31 January 2019. This review examines the current state of copper use, the regulatory framework, and limits set for copper in organic farming. Strategies to reduce copper inputs are also considered, including: preventive phytosanitary measures, innovative formulations with reduced copper content, optimization of copper dosages, the use of forecasting models, the use of resistant varieties, optimization of agriculture management, and natural alternatives to copper-based products. This review also examines the main research projects exploring farming practices and appropriate alternatives to copper use for the control of plant pathogens. The review highlights that, while there is currently no replacement for this heavy metal having the same plant protection effectiveness, agronomic measures and management practices can be combined to reduce the amounts of copper used for this purpose.

Input–output optimisation model for sustainable oil palm plantation development

Due to the increase in global demand for palm oil products, the oil palm industry has continued to expand in the past decades. Continuous production of fresh fruit bunches in oil palm plantation is essential to meet this growing demand. Meanwhile, the productivity of plantations is highly dependent on the supply of resources (e.g., water, fertilisers and sunlight) and on proper plantation management systems. The harvested fresh fruit bunches from oil palm plantations have to be immediately sent to palm oil mills to ensure the quality of the crude palm oil and crude palm kernel oil. In this study, oil palm plantation operations are optimised using an input–output model to determine maximum yield with minimum plantation size and greenhouse gases emissions. Multiple scenarios can be incorporated in the proposed model. To illustrate the proposed model, a case study of an oil palm plantation supplying fresh fruit bunches for a 60 t/h capacity palm oil mill in Malaysia is presented. Various plantation management practices with different resources supply constraints are considered. Based on the optimised result, the sustainability of a plantation is greatly improved. The plantation area needed to meet the requirement of the palm oil mill is reduced by 24% when using combined organic and inorganic fertilisers. A significant drop in greenhouse gases emissions from 282.95 to 200.73 kt CO2e/y can thus be achieved. This result implies that widespread use of such optimal practices can help meet growing global demand without the need to convert pristine ecosystems into new plantations.

Planning of Electric Power Systems Considering Virtual Power Plants with Dispatchable Loads Included: An Inexact Two-Stage Stochastic Linear Programming Model

In this study, an inexact two-stage stochastic linear programming (ITSLP) method is proposed for supporting sustainable management of electric power system under uncertainties. Methods of interval-parameter programming and two-stage stochastic programming were incorporated to tackle uncertainties expressed as interval values and probability distributions. The dispatchable loads are integrated into the framework of the virtual power plants, and the support vector regression technique is applied to the prediction of electricity demand. For demonstrating the effectiveness of the developed approach, ITSLP is applied to a case study of a typical planning problem of power system considering virtual power plants. The results indicate that reasonable solutions for virtual power plant management practice have been generated, which can provide strategies in mitigating pollutant emissions, reducing system costs, and improving the reliability of power supply. ITSLP is more reliable for the risk-aversive planners in handling high-variability conditions by considering peak-electricity demand and the associated recourse costs attributed to the stochastic event. The solutions will help decision makers generate alternatives in the event of the insufficient power supply and offer insight into the tradeoffs between economic and environmental objectives.

Hierarchies of knowledge: ethnobotanical knowledge, practices and beliefs of the Vhavenda in South Africa for biodiversity conservation

BackgroundIndigenous and local knowledge systems are characterised by a ‘knowledge-practice-belief’ complex that plays a critical role for biodiversity management and conservation on indigenous lands. However, few studies take into consideration the interconnected relationship between the social processes underpinning knowledge accumulation, generation and transmission. The study draws on ethnobotanical research to explore plant uses, practices and belief systems developed among the indigenous Vhavenda in South Africa for sustaining indigenous plant resources and highlights some of the forces of change influencing the acquisition and transmission of knowledge.MethodsData was collected from September–November 2016 from 31 individuals by means of semi-structured interviews; walks in home gardens, cultivated fields, montane forests and deciduous woodlands; and vouchering of plant species in six villages (Duthuni, Tshidzivhe, Vuvha, Lwamondo, Mashau and Tshiendeulu) in the Vhembe District of South Africa. The Use Value Index (UVI) was used to measure the number of different uses of each species and the Relative Frequency Index (RFI) to measure the local importance of each species. Semi-structured interviews and comparisons with published works also explored cultural practices and belief systems associated with plants, modes and barriers of knowledge transmission.ResultsEighty-four plant species were reported within 44 families, with Fabaceae representing the highest diversity of plant species. We identified six species not previously documented in the Vhavenda ethnobotanical literature, 68 novel uses of plants and another 14 variations of known uses. Vhavenda plants were predominantly used for food (36.0%) and medicine (26.1%) and consisted mainly of native (73.8%) compared to non-native species (26.2%). The Vhavenda possess a range of practices for managing plant resources that can be attributed to taboos preventing the use of selected species, promotion of sustainable harvesting practices and the propagation of plant species for ecological restoration. Plant knowledge and management practices were transmitted from relatives (48.4%), self-taught through time spent planting and harvesting plants on the land (19.4%), through apprenticeships with traditional healers (16.1%), initiation schools (9.7%) and clan gatherings (6.4%). Changes in traditional learning platforms for knowledge exchange, erosion of cultural institutions and shifting value systems serve as barriers for knowledge transmission among the Vhavenda.ConclusionThe study points to a need for new partnerships to be forged between conservationists, government actors and local and indigenous knowledge holders to foster hybrid knowledge coproduction for developing strategies to enhance the productivity and biodiversity of indigenous lands.

Plant chemistry associated dynamic modelling to enhance urban vegetation carbon sequestration potential via bioenergy harvesting

Abstract Urban vegetation is a critical element to achieve sustainable development of highly populated cities. Plants can fix and store carbon in the biomass, and can also be used as an energy source in substituting fossil fuels. In this study, we introduced a new dynamic model to simulate the carbon sequestration potential of urban greening facilities. This model was developed using plant-specific data measured from a typical urban rain garden. Field data and biomass samples were analyzed to calculate the carbon stocks of 7 herb, 7 shrub and 6 tree species. Biomass samples of representative tree species were collected for measurement of tree height, trunk diameter, and total biomass for validating the needed simulation coefficients. The new parameters obtained from chemical composition analyses were included in the model to better describe the bioenergy potentials of various plants species. The proposed model provides a general algorithm which is universally applicable for simulating plant growth and carbon sequestration potential for different plant spices combinations and management practices. The best management practices can be achieved through maximization of growing capacity of plants and bioenergy harvesting. The simulation results suggested that the maximum carbon sequestration potential of the studied urban rain garden can increase from 6.7 kg m−2 to 14.7 kg m−2 through harvesting and converting the plant-derived biomass into biofuels.

Historic landscape and site preservation at Gordion, Turkey: an archaeobotanist’s perspective

Archaeobotanical perspectives inform site conservation and presentation at Gordion, Turkey. The historical landscape there includes about 240 royal burial mounds and the archaeological site of Gordion. The tumuli and the historical landscape in which they sit are threatened by agricultural development and suburbanization. The excavated part of the site is exposed to the elements. Protection of the largest tumulus against uncontrolled grazing has reduced erosion and led to biodiversity preservation. Plant management practices coordinated with the architectural conservation team are under development. On stone structures, soft caps are planted with Poa bulbosa and a selective weeding programme aims at keeping deep-rooted plants from destroying the stonework. Education and outreach for local people and tourists include a native plant garden and self-guided walking tours.

PRINCIPALS’ SCHOOL PLANT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR IMPROVED STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN OYI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, NIGERIA

This study investigated principals’ school plant management practices for improved students’ academic performance in Oyi local government area of Anambra State, Nigeria. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. Three research questions and two hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The target population for this study was all the secondary school teachers in Oyi Local Government Area, numbering 239. All were studied due to the manageable size of the population. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire which was validated by experts in Educational Management and in Measurement and Evaluation. The data collected were analysed using mean scores to answer the research questions, with 2.50 as decision point, while t-test was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings among other things were that principals of secondary schools in Oyi Local Government Area use rules and regulations to operate school plants, they assign teachers to cater to the cleanliness of the schools and use students to carry out routine plant operational activities in schools. It was recommended, among others, that principals should organize workshops for students, staff and other stakeholders to sensitize them on the need to imbibe appropriate school plant maintenance and operation culture. Article visualizations:

Plant cover and management practices as drivers of soil quality

Human activities intensively modify soil properties and quality according to land-use and management practices. In Mediterranean areas, pollution and fires may directly alter some soil abiotic properties as well as the steady-state condition of soil microbiota. The aim of this study was to evaluate if the chemical and biological characteristics of two kinds of soil, Arenosols and Andosols, of a natural reserve and an urban park respectively, were affected by the same or different plant covers (trees and grasses). At each site, five sub-samples of surface soils (0–10 cm) were collected under maquis (trees) and gap of grasses. The soils were analyzed for physico-chemical parameters (organic matter and water contents, pH, C, N, Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb concentrations) and biological parameters (microbial and fungal biomass, respiration, metabolic quotient and coefficient of endogenous mineralization). The soil quality was evaluated through an integrated index, calculated taken into account all the investigated parameters. The results highlighted that soils under trees inside the urban park, with the highest amount of organic matter, showed higher microbial biomass and activity as compared to soils under grasses. The high concentration of Cu and Pb in these latter soils inhibited the microbial biomass and activity that were not exclusively affected by litter quality. Soil quality would seem to be strongly affected by the pedogenetic derivation and the management practices more than plant covers.

Growth characteristics of natural and planted Dahurian larch in northeast China

Abstract. Dahurian larch (Larix gmelinii Rupr.) is the dominant species in both natural and planted forests in northeast China, which is situated in the southernmost part of the global boreal forest biome and is undergoing great climatically induced changes. Published studies (1965–2015) on tree above-ground growth of Dahurian larch forests in northeast China were collected in this study and critically reviewed, and a comprehensive growth data set was developed from 122 sites, which are distributed between 40.85 and 53.47∘ N in latitude, between 118.20 and 133.70∘ E in longitude and between 130 and 1260 m in altitude. The data set is composed of 743 entries and includes growth data (mean tree height, mean diameter at breast height (DBH), mean tree volume and/or stand volume) and associated information, i.e., geographical location (latitude, longitude, altitude, aspect and slope), climate (mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP)), stand description (origin, stand age, stand density and canopy density) and sample regime (observation year, plot area and plot number). It provides a quantitative reference for plantation management practices and boreal forest growth prediction under future climate change. The data set is freely available for noncommercial scientific applications, and the DOI for the data is https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.880984.

Effects of conversion from a natural evergreen broadleaf forest to a Moso bamboo plantation on the soil nutrient pools, microbial biomass and enzyme activities in a subtropical area

Converting natural forests to plantations would markedly change soil physiochemical and biological properties, as a consequence of changing plant vegetative coverage and management practices. However, the effects of such land-use change on the soil nutrient pools and related enzymes activities still remain unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of conversion from natural evergreen broadleaf forests to Moso bamboo plantations on the pool sizes and forms of soil N, P and K, microbial biomass, and nutrient cycling related enzyme activities. Soil samples from four adjacent evergreen broadleaf forest-Moso bamboo plantation pairs were collected from a subtropical region in Zhejiang Province, China. The soil organic C (SOC), total N (TN), total P (TP) and total K (TK) concentrations and stocks and different N, P and K forms were measured, and the microbial biomass C (MBC), microbial biomass N (MBN), microbial biomass P (MBP) and four soil enzymes (protease, urease, acid phosphatase and catalase) were determined. The results showed that converting broadleaf forests to Moso bamboo plantations decreased the concentration and stock of SOC but increased those of TK in both soil layers (0–20 and 20–40 cm), and such land-use change increased the concentration and stock of TN and TP only in the 0–20 cm soil layer (P < 0.05). This land-use conversion increased the concentrations of NH4+-N, NO3−-N, resin-Pi, NaHCO3-Pi, NaOH-Pi, HCl-Pi, available K and slowly available K, but decreased the concentrations of water-soluble organic nitrogen (WSON), NaHCO3-Po and NaOH-Po (P < 0.05). Further, this land-use change decreased the microbial biomass and activities of protease, urease, acid phosphatase and catalase (P < 0.05). In addition, the acid phosphatase activity correlated positively with the concentrations of MBP and NaHCO3-Po, and the activities of urease and protease correlated positively with the concentrations of MBN and WSON (P < 0.01). To conclude, converting natural broadleaf forests to Moso bamboo plantations had positive effects on soil inorganic N, P and K pools, and negative effects on soil organic N and P pools, and on N- and P-cycling related enzyme activities. Therefore, management practices that increase organic nutrient pools and microbial activity are needed to be developed to mitigate the depletion of organic nutrient pools after the land-use conversion.

Short-term effects of alternative thinning treatments on the richness, abundance and composition of epixylic bryophytes, lichens, and vascular plants in conifer plantations at microhabitat and stand scales

Abstract Epixylic (log-dwelling) flora contribute much to forest biodiversity, but have been shown to decline with intensive management, perhaps through the reduced supply of coarse woody debris, their preferred substrate, and the altered mesoclimate of the understory. Such declines might be ameliorated through modifying the plantation management practices. This study examined the response of epixylic flora to commercial thinning treatments in 6 mid-rotation conifer plantations of northwestern New Brunswick, Canada. Treatments included an unthinned control, and thinning with: moderate debris, moderate debris with added snags, or no-debris. Epixylic flora were surveyed in the first and third year after thinning, on 30 logs in each of the 4 treatments, using both 10 × 20 cm quadrats (%-cover) and a presence-absence census of whole-logs. Treatments were evaluated at log and stand scales, based on the putative disturbance-sensitivity of different epixylic functional groups. Analyses included indicator species analysis, ANOVA of functional group richness and cover, NMS ordination, and PERMANOVA. Thinning with no-debris or moderate-debris reduced species richness at the stand scale, and increased cover at the log-scale. Composition shifted towards chlorolichens, vascular plants, and forest floor or asexually-reproducing bryophytes in thinned treatments, whereas liverworts and bryophytes with desiccation-sensitivity or those lacking asexual reproduction showed slight declines; most bryophyte groups showed no change. Moderate debris with snags and unthinned treatments showed the fewest compositional differences, and maintained many of the same sensitive groups, but all thinned treatments showed similar trajectories of compositional change. Additional monitoring is required to determine whether thinning with moderate debris and snags offers effective conservation of epixylic species, but debris removal (e.g., for biomass harvest) should be discouraged.

Saving seed microbiomes.

Plant seeds are home to diverse microbial communities whose composition is determined by plant genotype, environment, and management practices. Plant domestication is now recognized as an important driver of plant-associated microbial diversity. To what extent and how domestication affects seed microbiomes is less well studied. Here we propose a 'back-to-the-future' approach to harness seed microbiomes of wild relatives of crop cultivars to save and re-instate missing beneficial seed microbes for improved plant tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress.

Greatest soil microbial diversity found in micro-habitats

Microbial interactions occur in habitats much smaller than those generally captured in homogenized soil cores sampled across a plot or field. This study uses soil aggregates to examine soil microbial community composition and structure of both bacteria and fungi at a microbially-relevant scale. Aggregates were isolated from three land management systems in central Iowa, USA to test if aggregate-level microbial responses were sensitive to large-scale shifts in plant community and management practices. Bacteria and fungi exhibited similar patterns of community structure and diversity among soil aggregates, regardless of land management. Microaggregates supported more diverse microbial communities, and Fimbriimonadales, Acidimicrobiales, Actinomycetales, Alteromonodales, Burkholderiales, Gemmatimonadales, Rhodobacterales, Soligubrobacterales, Sphingobacteriales, Sphingomonodales, Spirobacillaes, Onygenales, Chaetosphaeriales, and Trichosporanales were indicator taxa for microaggregate communities. Large macroaggregates contained greater abundance of Pedosphaerales, Planctomycetales, Syntrophobacterales, and Glomeromycota (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi). To demonstrate the potential for additional insights into soil microbial diversity, we calculated of a weighted proportional whole soil diversity, which accounted for microbes found in aggregate fractions and resulted in 65% greater bacterial richness and 100% greater fungal richness over independently sampled whole soil (i.e. bulk soil). Our results show microaggregates support highly diverse microbial communities, including several unidentified genera. Isolating aggregates with a microbially sensitive approach provides new opportunities to explore soil microbial communities and the factors shaping them at relevant spatial scales.

Composition of basal area in natural forests based on the uniform angle index

This study presents an analysis of the small scale spatial patterns in natural forest plots in different parts of China. The focus of the analysis is to assess the spatial characteristics of different natural forests at a high level of resolution. The results may provide a theoretical basis for nature-approximating forest management practices in plantations established with a regular arrangement of planting points. MethodUsing a new measure for describing small scale forest structures, known as the Uniform Angle Index, it was possible to identify local structure units as even, random, or clustered. We analysed 11 selected natural forest plots with mapped trees with a wide geographical distribution in different regions of China. In each plot, with a known basal area density, the proportion of the total basal area was assessed that can be assigned to local structure units with specific patterns. Specifically, the basal area of each tree, and the associated local spatial pattern in the vicinity of that tree, provided the information about the distribution of local spatial patterns in the 11 natural forests. Results(1) Most trees were distributed in neighbourhoods with a random structure, regardless of whether the entire forest pattern was classified as even, random, or clustered. Less than half of the tree neighbourhoods were either clustered or evenly structured. (2) More than 50% of the basal area of the reference trees consisted of random units in all 11 natural forests. (3) Similarly, the basal areas of the random structure units occupied more than half of the total basal area. ConclusionsOur findings suggest that the major part of the basal area natural forests consists of random structure units. This observation may be helpful in the design of planting patterns or harvesting schedules to improve the stability of planted monocultures.

Evaluation of pruning waste of Mangifera indica var Harumanis cultivated in greenhouse

Mangifera indica var Harumanis is one of the exotic mango cultivated in Perlis, Malaysia. It economic importance increased in recent years due to the popularity attributed to it excellent taste, sweet and aromatic fragrance. Supply of Harumanis cannot meet market demand, mainly due to the difficulty of raising the crops and the short and uncertain harvesting seasons. The cultivation of Harumanis in greenhouse was found to be feasible to mitigate the short coming. However, the cultural practices of high density planting in greenhouse calls for regular pruning to meet the desired canopy. Regular strategic pruning produced pruning waste with potential economic value. This research was done to quantify the by-products produced by pruning from three 1/2 acre greenhouses, under the ecological and climatic of Perlis. The fresh biomass of waste collected during primary, secondary and tertiary pruning were determined. The pruning waste produced was 0.676kg per plant equivalent to 146.4kg per greenhouse during primary and secondary pruning. Estimation of fresh biomass waste produced during floral induction determine by regression was 816 kg per greenhouse with the expected total of 40.8 ton from 50 greenhouses. In view of the fact that the mango plant management practice was from the clean agricultural, the waste can be potentially utilized for green manufacturing. This was the first attempted to quantify pruning waste in mango cultivation before further utilization of pruning waste.

The role of vegetation on gully erosion stabilization at a severely degraded landscape: A case study from Calhoun Experimental Critical Zone Observatory

Gully erosion was evidence of land degradation in the southern Piedmont, site of the Calhoun Critical Zone Observatory (CCZO), during the cotton farming era. Understanding of the underlying gully erosion processes is essential to develop gully erosion models that could be useful in assessing the effectiveness of remedial and soil erosion control measures such as gully backfilling, revegetation, and terracing.Development and validation of process-based gully erosion models is difficult because observations of the formation and progression of gullies are limited. In this study, analytic formulations of the two dominant gullying processes, namely, plunge pool erosion and slab failure, are utilized to simulate the gullying processes in the 4-km2 Holcombe's Branch watershed. In order to calibrate parameters of the gully erosion model, gully features (e.g., depth and area) extracted from a high-resolution LiDAR map are used. After the calibration, the gully model is able to delineate the spatial extent of gullies whose statistics are in close agreement with the gullies extracted from the LiDAR DEM. Several simulations with the calibrated model are explored to evaluate the effectiveness of various gully remedial measures, such as backfilling and revegetation. The results show that in the short-term, the reshaping of the topographical surface by backfilling and compacting gullies is effective in slowing down the growth of gullies (e.g., backfilling decreased the spatial extent of gullies by 21–46% and decreased the average depth of gullies by up to 9%). Revegetation, however, is a more effective approach to stabilizing gullies that would otherwise expand if no gully remedial measures are implemented. Analyses of our simulations show that the gully stabilization effect of revegetation varies over a wide range, i.e., leading to 23–69% reduction of the spatial extent of gullies and up to 45% reduction in the depth of gullies, depending on the selection of plant species and management practices.